AlMasdarNews reports: After months of stalemate in eastern Homs, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) restarted its operations against Islamic State militants on the outskirts of Palmyra.
Heavily supported by Russian Mi-24 and Mi-28 attack helicopters, units of the SAA’s “Cheetah Forces” (Tiger Forces branch) – supported by the Military Security Shield (Syrian paramilitary faction) – attacked ISIS positions northeast of Palmyra on Monday evening.
An Al-Masdar News field correspondent in the Latakia governorate with military sources in Palmyra said Syrian government forces had advanced several kilometers and seized at least two ISIS checkpoints in the oil-rich region.
Strategically, the SAA offensive looks to capture the town of Arak and eventually break the ISIS-imposed siege of Deir Ezzor in eastern Syria.
